SFC Fluidics Awarded $1.5 Million Grant for Automated Medical Device

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — SFC Fluidics Inc. has been awarded a
$1.5 million federal research grant to continue its development of a portable,
fully integrated and automated medical device for clinical monitoring of
patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Launched in 2003, SFC Fluidics is a medical device and
diagnostics company headquartered at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park in
Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation
manages the park.

The Phase II grant from the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health supports
SFC Fluidics’ MD Analyzer platform, which seeks to provide timely and
clinically effective monitoring of patients suffering from severe traumatic
brain injury. These patients are usually bedridden and unconscious for long
periods of time during which they are unable to communicate with medical staff.
Ongoing rapid and progressive changes to the patient’s condition, which go
unnoticed, can lead to multiple organ failures and even death.

Current tests used to monitor a patient’s condition require
the use of large equipment located in a centralized laboratory with the entire
process taking several hours for the clinical results to reach the medical
staff. During the hours-long wait for this clinical information, the patient’s
condition can change significantly, potentially making the actions of the
doctor ineffective.

The injured brain releases several biochemicals that can
indicate whether patient health is improving or getting worse. Continuous
measurement of these biomarkers will allow the trauma center staff to monitor
the condition of the patient and customize the treatment strategy. MD Analyzer
will be located at the patient’s bedside with a diagnostic readout every 10
minutes. Doctors will be able to closely and accurately track the progress of
the patient, respond rapidly to any changes, and improve short- and long-term
clinical outcomes.

SFC Fluidics is a portfolio company of VIC Technology
Venture Development, a privately held firm based at the Innovation Center at
the Arkansas Research and Technology Park.